Beauty frozen in time

Travel for 35 kilometres, you enter the temple town of Somanathapura. It is not that the city is full of temples, but one temple, that of Chennakesava, is enough to make the town to be called a temple town. Such is the grandeur of this twelfth century temple.

The strain of travelling 35 kilometres by van vanished the moment we saw the temple. The sheer beauty of the temple hit us. We were not prepared to see something like this.

Somnathapura, once an important city during Hoysalas, has stood the test of time. Built around AD 1268, the architecture and sculpture in the temple have frozen in time, the exquisite concepts and workmanship of people who we today think were backward in science and technology.

The Hoysalas were known for the patronage to art and architecture, and this temple stands as a supreme testimony to their concept of art. Now under the protection of the Archeological Society of India, the temple is open to visitors between 9 am and 5 pm.

There is no worship in the temple, and the gods seem to be happy with the adoration that art lovers and art critics give.

The first sculpture to catch your attention and heart is the icon of Krishna. Carved in granite, the piece is an exhibit of exquisite workmanship.


The Hoysala architecture is known for its rococo style. And what theme than the Hindu myths and Gods can better suit this style?

Look at the ways the stone is carved to represent the branches  of a tree under which Lord Krishna stands with his famous signature—body bent at three different places in three different angles!

Is he not a lad here? The size of the limbs, the body proportions, and the final touches to the polish of the stones—surely the sculptor must have had a young Krishna in mind. The dress, the long necklace, and the workmanship make the whole piece worth its weight in gold.